Become a Paid Government Grant Reviewer

Grant proposals submitted to the federal government are generally reviewed first by a peer review panel. This panel consists of people in related fields of interest who are instructed to offer an unbiased assessment of the grant proposals that have been submitted.  There are many different areas of interest.  The members of the peer review panel will assign ratings according to the criteria that they are given. 

When I first started, we were required to travel to Washington, DC. Today you will probably be able to perform your review services online. The rate of pay varies according to the different agencies. For example the Bureau of Justice Assistance pays $125 for every application reviewed.  It is not unusual to have 6-8 applications that you are assigned to review.  

What you will appreciate besides the  pay, is the opportunity to learn just how the granting process works. It will also help to develop your skills as a grant proposal writer.  Additionally, you   have the opportunity to network with others and form mutually beneficial relationships.

I have had the privilege of getting paid to review Federal grant proposals for the past 6 years.  My grant reviewing experience includes reviewing grant proposals for various agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS), The Department of Justice , Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJS) as well as for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and also serving as a Chair for the review panel. 


Getting Prepared
Prepare your (updated) resumes and have them accessible so that you will be able to load onto to the agency sites that will request it. If you have many interests and skills, you should prepare different resumes that reflect the interests of the agencies that you may choose. For example if you have experience in counseling and also have interest in community development, you will want to have two separate resumes that emphasize each area respectively.


The counseling resume could be used to apply as a grant reviewer for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), while the community development resume could be submitted to the Office of Community Service (OCS) or the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Search the list of the agencies on the Grants.Gov web site until you see one that you believe will interest you. 


This blog post includes an excerpt taken from the book "My Grant Writing Secrets"  by Dr. Margaret Jamal. This Book is available from Amazon.com.

Defining a Mission for Your Organization

There was a television series that was a big hit beginning in 1966.  It had a trademark scene that would open up with a man receiving a clandestine message about an evil problem.  This man would be told about the problem as well as who was causing the problem.  He would also be told about some support that would be assigned to him if he decided to eliminate the problem. 

This television series was called Mission Impossible.  The series, which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller, follows the missions of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF), a team of secret agents employed by the United States government. The team is sent on covert missions to combat dictators, evil organizations, and (primarily in later episodes) crime lords. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Just as in the series, a mission is always preceded by acknowledging that there is a problem needing to be addressed.  A mission can be short termed or on-going according to the depth of the problem.  The IMF specialized in short term missions that could have long term consequences.  However the leader maintained an ongoing mission which was to eliminate evil threats to the United States.  This is why the leader was always contacted about specific problems.

Your mission is what you have determined is the ultimate reason for your existence.  Your mission statement expresses the primary vision that will continue to motivate you to persevere even if the budget is tight and the bills are overwhelming.  Your mission is what gives your organization meaning.  Your mission is ongoing when it involves eliminating a problem that causes pain and suffering for others.

A solid mission is fueled by a self-induced passion that produces its own rewards - without needing the acknowledgement of others.  In other words a lack of resources should not cause an organization to change the original mission.  A lack of resources should compel an organization to find ways to address what is missing and acquire what is needed.

MISSION FOCUS EXERCISE

Imagine that you are being offered $50,000 to launch a project.  You will be limited to address only one need with this money on this first funding cycle.  According to the success of this project, you will later receive twice as much money to expand this project.  You will be judged initially on how well you respond to certain questions.

With the scenario above in mind answer the following questions:

1.         What primary problem do you feel most compelled to address?  (Only one problem is allowed)

2.         How does this problem affect those that you want to help?

For example: The problem of teen pregnancy contributes to juvenile poverty and child abandonment.

3.  What will happen to those that you want to help if this problem is not addressed?

For example: Teen parents will increase the crime statistics, rate of homelessness and welfare recipients.

4. Why do you feel that you have to be the one to address this problem?

In defining your mission you must clearly express a problem as well as your overall plan to eliminate the problem.  Additionally, you need to clearly identify the type of people that you will help to eliminate this problem.  Considering the questions in numbers 3 and 4 above will remind you about how important it is to stay with your commitment to your mission.

This blog post includes an excerpt taken from the book " R.A.T.E.S. Principles for Successful Nonprofit & Human Services:.."  by Dr. Margaret Jamal. This Book is available from Amazon.com.

Beware of Wolves in the Church (Part 1)

There has been an alarming increase in the rate of suicides, emotionally induced sickness, violence and failed relationships  in business, social, intimate and other environments.  Many people have been battling exceptional stress and an emerging sense of hopelessness that too often seems unbearable.

Their target is your spirit.  Your spirit is the essence of your existence that remains hidden from most people.  It is your true self that determines how you practice life.   The spirit influences all decisions that we make and all psychological responses that we display.  These attacks appear as mentally tormenting and spiritually devastating wolves in disguise that frequently masquerade as life happenings.  

The term psycho-spiritual is one that combines the two words- psychological and spiritual.  The psychological stresses of life tend to precede the decision to seek spiritual resolve that is believed to be beyond our personal control.    Psycho –spiritual studies (while still in infancy) indicate that an intersection of psychological treatment with spiritual intervention can produce significantly favorable outcomes.  For example, a recent study conducted by Kelly M. Trevino concluded that: "positive religious coping was associated with positive outcomes, including greater self-esteem and spirituality.  Spiritual struggle was associated with negative outcomes, such as poorer quality of life, higher levels of HIV symptoms, and higher levels of depressive symptoms.” [1]

...The psycho-spiritual wolves who prey on believers can and must be identified so that they can be defeated. 


... There was a twenty six year old deacon of a growing, progressive church who was known for his flirtatious mannerisms.  This married deacon displayed an questionable attraction to the younger girls, but the members just viewed him as friendly.  One day, it was revealed that he had sexual relations with a young teen in a youth group.  While the church was being divided about whether he should be arrested, his wife brought him up on charges regarding his own daughter.

The instances of reported sexual assault among congregations has been increasing and many Pastors admit that they are at a loss regarding how to address it.  At the same time, there are those in the church who use these reports to stir up strife, gossip and contention that has proven to be highly destructive and quite taxing on the leadership. 

It is my belief that the faith community should consider the psycho-spiritual influences rather than just the spiritual as they seek tangible solutions to sexual assault.  I also believe that this approach should be used to address issues such as bullying and other traumatic practices.  The Scriptures even suggest that a renewing of the mind is required for individual transformation that rises above conforming to destructive worldly behaviors.  [Romans 12:1]

It is no secret  that there has been a  reluctance from the mental health community to partner with the faith community in order to help those who are troubled.  There has also been a great avoidance of engaging mental health professionals within church settings by many pastors and ministry leaders.  I am of the opinion that this mutual territorialism has worked to the detriment of those who are suffering from psycho-spiritual issues.

Fortunately experts in both arenas are conceding that a more holistic approach to helping the deep seeded pain and suffering of others is needed.  There are areas of human development that are simply better understood by mental health professionals.  Likewise, faith practitioners have a much better grasp of the spiritual nuances and influences that impact the way we address our psychological concerns.   Perhaps we would all benefit in recognizing, for example, that depression is not merely a mental illness anymore than sexual assault is only a sin. 

---

[1] Religious Coping and Physiological, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Outcomes in Patients with HIV/AIDS: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Findings . Kelly Trevino, Journal, AIDS and Behavior, Publisher; Springer Netherlands, ISSN 1090-7165 (Print) 1573-3254 (Online), Issue-Volume 14, Number 2 / April, 2010; DOI 10.1007/s10461-007-9332-6, Pages 379-389 




These excerpts are taken from the book "Beware of Wolves in the Church" by Dr. Margaret Jamal. This Book is available from Amazon.com.

How to Find Your Calling in Human Service- Part 1

A human service provider is the entity that is responsible for providing services that lead to solving a problem. For the purposes of this material, we define a problem as something that causes pain, suffering or hardship. Problems to the extreme may also cause death. This death could be to a person, or even a healthy way of life.

It is important to recognize and believe that healing will begin and continue as people seek to eliminate the pain and suffering in the lives of others. When service providers seek to eliminate the pain and suffering that they have also experienced they have the ability to genuinely relate to those that they serve. This ability to relate helps to maintain the commitment as well as share in the healing.

The first need that human service providers have is to determine which problem(s) they are called, committed and equipped to eliminate. By approaching a problem as one that is to be eliminated, the planning and resource gathering will be more focused and measurable. The qualifications for seeing success are clearer when success includes actual transformation from wrong to right.

Although the mindset of eliminating a problem is not the norm, it is essential for those who want to establish a lasting legacy. For example a service provider that has determined that unemployment is the primary problem will be guided to find a solution to eliminate unemployment. This mindset will force people to avoid wasted efforts on theories and practices that may not be goal oriented, measurable or result in success.

In order to decide upon the problems that you might be called to eliminate, first consider your thoughtful responses to the following question:
What pain, suffering or hardship have you experienced that you strongly desire to see eliminated? This pain, suffering or hardship could be something that you experienced as a child or in later years. This could be something that someone else caused or experienced, but still resulted in your suffering.

For example if you suffered from alcoholism as an alcoholic, then you may list “alcoholism” as a problem. On the other hand, if you were a child of an alcoholic parent the problem still relates to alcoholism, but you might list the problem as an “alcoholic parent.”

The “Determine the Problems” exercise used with teaching the R.A.T.E.S. Principles was developed to uncover heartfelt commitments to aid in launching an effective and solution driven organization. This exercise helps participants to look at their concerns objectively to help focus upon which issue is most pressing to them. This most pressing issue will be the concern that causes people to stick to their efforts even in the face of difficult challenges.

There are several direct questions given with this exercise that will help to determine problem(s) that you may be committed and called to eliminate. A follow up exercise will set the platform for settling upon which specific problem should receive first priority for developing sound solutions. These exercises together help prepare the mindset needed to gain focus for structured, results oriented planning.

In order to help organize your efforts a Determine the Problem Table is provided. The First column is for listing up to five personal experiences that you believe are problems. The other five columns are designed to help participants determine if they have listed the types of problems that they could commit to addressing for a significant period of time.

The Determine the Problem Worksheet will help to focus upon which problem will be addressed first. It is designed to examine the degree of commitment for each problem as they are individually compared to each other. Follow these simple steps to determine a list of problems that you may be called to help eliminate in the lives of others.
NOTE: See how the table is completed in the example below.

Step 1: Make a list of up to 5 problems that you have overcome. Keep in mind that a problem is something that causes pain suffering or hardship. We must first admit that we have in fact pressed through situations that caused pain, suffering and hardship. For example, substance abuse is a problem. Unemployment could also be a problem. It could clearly be explained how each of those problems cause pain, suffering and hardship. Remember that your problems should be 1 to 3 word descriptions.
Step 2: Place your list of problems in the first column of the Determine the Problem table.
Step 3: Take the time to carefully consider the statements in the following columns. Place an “X” or check the spaces where the statement is true in regards to that particular problem.
Step 4: Circle the problems in the form that have 5 checks or X’s. You will use these results for the next step. NOTE: If none of your problems have 5 checks, you are probably not committed to finding your calling at this time.

Determine the Problems Table (Example)

Click here to download a blank PDF fillable "Determine the Problems" Table.

(This exercise is found in the book "R.A.T.E.S. Principles for Successful Nonprofit & Human Services" by Dr. Margaret Jamal)

Grant Writing Secrets: Secret #1

In my grant proposal consultations, people really have two primary questions that they want

answered by the time they leave. These questions are: 1) How do I get the money for my program? 2) How do I keep getting the money for my program? Getting the money really starts with setting up a good program. However your program will not generate the money that you need to stay afloat until you develop good grant proposals.

You think that you don’t have the time. But there is a real benefit to learning how to develop your own winning grant proposal. You learn the discipline needed to launch social services to impact your community. And you also make the connections with the donors for yourself. Ultimately learning for yourself will save you a lot of time- and money.

You are the visionary and your vision is what should be represented in your proposal. Donors should not get a document that represents your administrator’s, secretary’s or even a grant writer’s interpretation of your vision. You need to learn for yourself so that your idea is given without compromise.

The two greatest challenges to writing grant proposals are getting organized and getting started. If you begin with the basics, you will not feel so overwhelmed. First you need to understand the reason for writing a grant proposal. Grants are funds awarded in response to a detailed plan to accomplish something. This detailed plan is called a grant proposal.

Professional grant writers who are writing grant proposals for others need to uncover specialized experiences with their clients. Documenting all qualifying experience will come in handy to validate the requestor’s ability to execute the proposed project. This is true for Foundation grants as well as government grants.

The first section of your grant proposal is setting the tone for proving your case regarding the reasons your project should get the money that you are requesting. Today’s donors are weary of people simply asking for money when they are not even interested in the cause that they have written about in the proposal.

Clients and community stakeholders are also becoming more vocal regarding their distaste for grant recipients who show no apparent concern for their issues.
Although you might think that no one really knows the difference, skilled grant reviewers can discern a lack of experience from a grant proposal. One big indicator of lacking experience is how many words are used to discuss the cause while giving too few examples of efforts to address the cause. We used to do this in our high school essay papers when we did not know the answer. We would just write whatever we thought that we knew about a topic, hoping to get credit for putting lots of information on paper.

How to Prove Your Expertise
There are a number of ways to prove your expertise in an area. However I recommend a simple and inexpensive method to begin. Start a blog or two concerning your area of interest. This could even include some aspects of your proposal. Make sure that your wording is original. Then post this information with any number of online writing resources. One of the resources that I contribute to is Hellium.com.* However there are many others. Some even offer compensation for well written articles.

Your grant proposal needs to tell the reader that you are an expert in your area of interest. Write a few articles about your experience in your chosen field. Even include people that you have serviced informally. Remember that you are the expert.
(This is taken from the book "My Grant Writing Secrets, by Dr. Margaret Jamal, available at Amazon.com and select bookstores.